Swimming pool cover and fence



Jan. 4, 1966 A. J, LOEB 3,227,422

SWIMMING PooL covER AND FENCE Filed May 25, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /NVEA/ron. ,7, Q'

Allen J. Loeb 4o g by 77777777777777777777 ATTORNEY Jan. 4, 1966 A. J. LoEB SWIMMING POOL COVER AND FENCE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 23, 19e;

/NVE/vof? Allen J. Loeb ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,227,422 SWIMMING POOL COVER AND FENCE Allen J. Loeb, East Meadow, N.Y., assignor of twentyfive percent to Robert V. Loeb, Whippany, NJ., and twenty-five percent to Richard H. Williams, Northport,

' Filed May z3, 1963,ser.No.zsz,6ss

2 Claims. (Cl. 256-1) This invention is a structure to provide safety for swimming pools. It is intended primarily for the prevention of drowning, or injury, caused by ones falling into the pool while it is filled with water or into the cavity when it is drained thereof.

An object of the invention is increased safety in the use of swimming pools.

Another object of the invention is added protection for swimming pools to guard them at all times, while they are in service, and while they are temporarily out of service against the dangers inherent in their operation, particularly to small unattended children.

Covers for swimming pools are well known in the art, and they are generally quite effective, particularly for providing protection during the relatively long intervals while a pool is not in service. Experience has shown that the usual cover leaves something to be desired in that it generally is not made use of during intervals, which are expected to be short, while the pool is unattended.

For instance, with the pool cover removed, a lone bather making use of the pool may be called to the telephone or summoned to some other activity which he assumes will be of such short duration that the trouble of covering the pool is not justified. During such intervals, the unexpected frequently happens. With the arrangement ofthe present invention the incidence of serious mishaps will be materially lessened as it provides some protection at all times.

The invention resides in a structure, constructed and arranged so that, at times, it serves as a pool cover, to afford maximum protection and, when not serving as a pool cover, it serves as a relatively high fence completely enclosing the pool. The structure at all times performs one or the other of its two functions. That is to say, when it is not serving as a cover, it serves as a complete peripheral enclosure. The fence is sufficiently high so that it cannot be successfully negotiated readily by those small tots to whom a pool constitutes both an appealing invitation and a dire hazard.

A feature of the present invention is a structure which serves the combined functions of a pool cover and a fence completely enclosing the pool.

Another feature of the invention is a structure so arranged that it always is positioned in one or the other of two attitudes, that is as cover for a pool or a fence completely enclosing the pool.

Another feature of the invention is a pair of opposed coacting elements which at times cooperate in completely covering a pool and at other times serve with fixed fence portions to completely enclose a pool.

Another feature is a section of a pool cover equipped with rollers, or Wheels, which facilitate the raising of the section from a horizontal position adjacent the top of the pool, when serving as a portion of the pool cover, to a vertical position when serving as a portion of a fence.

Another feature is a pair of opposed fixed vertical fence portions forming two ends of the pool fence, which coact with the two elements which when in a horizontal position form the pool cover. When these latter are raised into a vertical position, they form with the two fixed ends a fence completely enclosing the pool.

ICC

Another feature is a track near the bottom of each of the fixed vertical fence portions, along which tracks certain of the wheels or rollers, integral with the displaceable vertical fence portions, roll while the vertical fence portions are being lowered into the horizontal positions adjacent the pool top and while they are being retracted to the vertical position to serve as two sides of the fence.

Another feature is a vertical track at each of the ends of each of the fixed vertical sides of the fence, along which the wheels or rollers, integral with the displaceable fence sides roll, while they are being raised or lowered, primarily to reduce the work involved in changing their position.

These and other features of the invention may be understood from reference to the following description when read with reference to the associated drawings, which taken together disclose a preferred embodiment in which the invention is presently incorporated. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to incorporation in the present embodiment, but may be practiced in other embodiments, which may be suggested by a consideration of the following detailed description and the appended claims defining the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the invention showing the fence completely enclosing the pool;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation taken on line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial front elevation taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1 to a larger scale;

FIG. 5 is a partial front elevation taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1 to a larger scale;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken on line 6 6 of FIG. l to a larger scale; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view, partly in section, taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

Refer now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 which show two fixed vertical ends 2 and 4 of the fence and two displaceable sides 6 and 8 which may be elevated into a vertical position so that together with ends 2 and 4 they form a four-sided fence completely enclosing the pool 10. The end 2 is illustrated in FIG. 3 as comprising two fixed corner posts 12 and 14, two panels 16 and 18 and a door 20. The panels and the door are provided with suitable framing and bracing elements and are covered with any suitable material such as steel mesh or aluminum mesh. The end 4 is provided with end posts 22 and 24 and may be identical with end 2 or, if preferred, the door may be omitted. The front and rear sides 6 and 8 preferably are provided, at their tops, with a fixed horizontal bar, such as bar 26, as best shown for side 6 in FIG. 2. The bar 26 is iixedly secured to the end posts 12 and 22 in any convenient manner, such as by screws, rivets, or welding. The rear side 8 is arranged correspondingly.

Both the front side 6 and the rear side 8 are provided with a displaceable structure, each of which may be positioned in either the vertical position to serve as a side of the fence or in the horizontal position. In the horizontal position each covers one-half of the pool.

The arrangement illustrated in FIG. 2 is suitable for service in a medium-sized pool. The displaceable structure is formed as a single integral rigid unit, preferably of aluminum or other light relatively strong material which may be raised or lowered by one unaided person. It is to be understood, however, that the same general mode of construction may be followed in making structures for larger pools. In such case the sides may be formed of a plurality of rigid sections each of such a size that it may be raised or lowered by one unaided person.

In the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, the front side 6 and the rear side S each consist of one rigid adjustable structure. In FIG. 2, the rigid structure individual to the front side is shown as comprising five sections, 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36. Each one of the sections is suitably framed individually, and adjoining sections are spaced, to provide an opening at the top and bottom as best shown in FIG. 4. Suitably mounted for rotation in each opening is a wheel, such as wheels 38 and 40.

As best shown in FIG. 5, the end section 28, is provided with two double wheels 44 and 46. Each double wheel comprises a larger wheel 48, S Vand a smaller wheel integral with the larger wheel 52, 54. The smaller wheels are arranged to engage a vertical rack integral with the end post 12, and upon being lowered, to engage with a horizontal track. The horizontal track is best shown in FIG. 6 which shows the horizontal track 60 associated with the right-hand end 4.

When the displaceable side portions 6 and 8 are lowered, the smaller wheels such as 52 and 54, at each of the two ends of the sides 6 and 8, first roll down their respective vertical tracks and then along their horizontal tracks. The two sides 6 and 8 are each large enough to cover one half of the pool, so that each preferably engages the other along the longitudinal axis of the pool to cover it completely.

The displaceable sides 6 and 8 may be provided with any suitable means for locking it in the vertical and horizontal positions and the door 20 is preferably provided with a spring closure and a spring lock.

The wheels, or rollers, other than those which engage with the tracks on the end posts, roll along the surface of the boundaries adjacent the pool, at the sides thereof, as the displaceable fence sides are being raised or lowered. When in position as a cover, each displaceable fence side is supported by four wheels, or rollers, two end wheels in each track on each end post associated with the respective fence side, and by the top wheels, intermediate the upper end wheels, which are positioned along the upper edge of the respective displaceable fence portion when the fence portion is elevated. When the displaceable fence sides are lowered, these intermediate top wheels rest on the surface of the side boundaries of the pool. The bottom intermediate wheels function only while they engage the side boundaries of the pool as their respective individual sides are being raised or lowered. When the covers are in position, the lower intermediate wheels are positioned above the pool as the other supports are adequate.

The height of the fence is preferably eight feet, or more, and its outer surfaces are preferably arranged without foot or hand holes to discourage climbing thereover.

What is claimed is:

1. A combined fence and cover for enclosing and completely covering a swimming pool, said fence having two rigid displaceable side portions and two fixed vertical side portions, each of said displaceable portions and each of said lixed portions extending completely along each respective side of said pool only, vertical and horizontal tracks secured directly to vertical and horizontal portions of said xed portions, guide elements secured to said displaceable portions, said guide elements disposed so as to engage with said vertical and horizontal tracks to facilitate raising and lowering said displaceable portions.

2. A combined fence and cover corresponding to claim 1 in which said displaceable side portions have wheel elements intermediate said guide elements to facilitate said raising and lowering.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,252,448 1/1918 Kees 20-32 1,275,477 8/1918 Ruble et al.

1,710,046 4/1929 Down et al. 20-34 2,766,016 10/1956 Miller et al 256-21 2,788,849 4/1957 Lingard 160-188 X 2,861,630 11/1958 Baker 160-113 2,980,921 4/1961 Bartolucci 4-172 3,002,195 10/1961 Prudek 4-172 3,094,710 6/1963 Hoke 4-172 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COMBINED FENCE AND COVER FOR ENCLOSING AND COMPLETELY COVERING A SWIMMING POOL, SAID FENCE HAVING TWO RIGID DISPLACEABLE SIDE PORTIONS AND TWO FIXED VERTICAL SIDE PORTIONS, EACH OF SAID DISPLACEABLE PORTIONS AND EACH OF SAID FIXED PORTIONS EXTENDING COMPLETELY ALONG EACH RESPECTIVE SIDE OF SAID POOL ONLY, VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL TRACKS SECURED DIRECTLY TO VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL PORTIONS OF SAID FIXED PORTIONS, GUIDE ELEMENTS SECURED TO SAID DISPLACEABLE PORTIONS, SAID GUIDE ELEMENTS DISPOSED SO AS TO ENGAGE WITH SAID VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL TRACKS TO FACILITATE RAISING AND LOWERING SAID DISPLACEABLE PORTIONS. 